Connexions (agency)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Connexions is a UK governmental careers, counselling and advice service for young people aged thirteen to nineteen, created in 2000 following the Learning and Skills Act.
There are Connexions Centres around the country - usually several in each county - which offer support and advice on topics including education, housing, health, relationships, drugs, and finance. Principally, Connexions offers an impartial, client-centred, careers, information and guidance service.
A web site, Connexions Direct, offers information on various topics of potential interest to young people in England. Connexions also offers one-to-one support by telephone, SMS, and instant messaging.
[edit] Information Sharing
Consent is nominally sought prior to sharing information, such as school attendance records, unless there is a statutory or common law duty to do so.[1] Such consent is not necessarily limited in scope, or length of time in effect. Consequently, confidentiality may not be guaranteed.
Information sharing powers are granted under sections 114 to 121 of the Learning and Skills Act, section 115 of the Crime & Disorder Act and section 12 of the Children Act.
[edit] Structure
Connexions was formerly The Careers Service, and as such it has had its organisation altered through out the Conservative and Labour Party reforms of central government. It is currently run on a local, county basis, many of which are paid for by external bodies or local government[citation needed]. As a result there is very little in terms of uniformity. Berkshire Connexions, for example, is run differently, and structured differently, to Surrey or Oxfordshire Connexions.
Connexions works closely with many other services, particularly those within local government, such as the Young Offenders Team (YOT), Teenage Pregnancy Workers, Children's Services, but also Housing Associations, Job Centres, and others.
There are 47 Connexions Partnerships throughout the country. These partnership offices manage the Connexions service on a local level, bringing together all the key youth support services in their area.The partnership offices manage the Connexions Centres in their locality.
From 1st April 2008 responsibility for providing Connexions Services is transferred to local authorities in each area ( rather than the Connexions Partnerships). Some are choosing to take services in-house, others to commission services from other providers. The brand, however, will remain.
